New rules for mobilization now apply in Ukraine. The recruitment age drops from 27 to 25 years.
New rules for mobilization apply in Ukraine Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/ap/dpa
LUTZ taz | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed several so-called war laws on Tuesday. His objective is to mobilize more men for the army. A document stipulates that recruits between the ages of 25 (previously 27) and 60 are subject to general mobilization.
In December 2023, Zelensky said that the military had asked him to mobilize 500,000 more people for the army. This number has not been heard from since commander-in-chief Valeriy Zalushny was ousted in February. His successor, Oleksandr Syrsky, said in March that the army had reviewed its internal resources. But the army still needs new people, especially with the threat of a new Russian offensive.
Electronic registration of recruits.
Another army law that Zelensky signed introduces a central electronic registry of recruits. As a result, the Ministry of Defense receives data on citizens between 17 and 60 years old contained in state records.
The new registry collects phone numbers, email addresses, information about the men's parents, details of their passports, as well as data on foreign travel, foreign languages learned, knowledge of firearms and availability of a driving license . However, the men will not receive summons for mobilization through this registry, explained Deputy Defense Minister Yekaterina Chernogorenko.
Another important innovation is that men whose doctors have certified that they have “limited fitness for service” must undergo another medical examination. The law only recognizes two categories: “fit” and “unfit.” Therefore, a second commission must determine to which category the interested party belongs.
The reason for this law is banal: last year the number of men who avoided being drafted into the army with the status of “limited fitness” increased considerably. The government suspects that corruption could be one of the reasons.
All these laws are just a prelude to the adoption of a broader law to improve military mobilization and training in Ukraine. It was passed at first reading in Parliament in February and was followed by more than 4,000 amendments. The law will enter its second reading in April.
Students can travel abroad again
In addition to the mobilization of men between 25 and 60 years old, basic training of five months in peacetime and three months in wartime will be introduced instead of military service. All men will receive this basic training. Basic military training will be introduced in universities from 2025.
There is good news for students between 18 and 22 years old who speak foreign languages and do not have learning problems. Travel abroad is allowed despite martial law. These are exchange programs with universities in Europe and the United States. Since August 2022, it is prohibited to leave the country for all students, both for those who had studied in Europe before the start of the war with Russia, and for those who subsequently enrolled in universities abroad..
Translated from Russian Barbara Oertel